Nature of the Mondego River in Coimbra
The Mondego River, Portugal’s longest river entirely within its borders, flows through lush landscapes and historic cities. A vital natural and cultural artery of the region.
The Mondego River is the fifth largest river in Portugal and the first of all those that flow entirely within Portugal. It rises in the Serra da Estrela mountain range, more specifically in the parish of Mangualde da Serra, in the municipality of Gouveia. It flows through the entire Central Region (Beiras Region) and empties into the Atlantic Ocean near the city of Figueira da Foz.
Between Penacova and Coimbra, the river flows through a narrow valley, characterized by numerous meanders. After leaving the schist and quartzite formations behind, and already in the vicinity of the city of Coimbra, the river begins its lower course, consisting of the last forty kilometers of its journey and covering a difference in altitude of only 40 meters. In this last stage, it flows through a vast alluvial plain, cutting through the municipalities of Coimbra, Montemor-o-Velho, and Figueira da Foz, where it empties into the Atlantic Ocean.
At its mouth, an estuary about 25 km long and 3.5 km² in area is formed. In the last 7.5 km of its course, it splits into two branches (north and south), which rejoin at the mouth, forming the small island of Murraceira between them.